Pithaly

To make ink from tea, all you need is:

* a strong cup of black tea
* unsoaped steel wool
* vinegar
* a small saucepan (or beaker)
* 3% hydrogen peroxide (from chemist or drugstore)


To make ink from tea:

1. Make a third of a cup of strong black tea with a tea bag, or use the strained dregs from a teapot. The tea contains tannic acid.
2. Dissolve some unsoaped steel wool by warming it in a quarter of a cup of vinegar in a small saucepan. The solution will be greenish-blue due to indigo. (If you don't know about ions yet, don't worry.)
3. Add the iron solution to the tea. Black iron (III) tannate will be formed. Be careful, this is indelible and will stain clothes.

Try writing with the ink. You may need to thicken it by adding a thickening agent such as gum arabic or kudzu.